Rise of Athenian Democracy and Alexander the Great

History of Athenian Democracy

In 508 BC, a significant change in institutions occurred, integrating the people within new democratic structures. His reforms can be divided into two areas: one involved a reorganization of the civic body, and the other a new institutional sort. Regarding the new organization of power, a council of five hundred members (the Boule) was created, which exercised control over the judges and played an important judicial role. Around 440 BC, democratic institutions took their definitive form. Procedures were elaborated for meetings of the Boule and Ekklesia, and specialized magistrate bodies were organized. Its restoration in 280 BC, however, was but a pale reflection of its previous political life.

Political Institutions of Athens

Democracy did not create the institutions that had existed in diverse other regimes. The difference lies in the selection of its members, its operation, and the distribution of its powers. To enjoy public rights, one had to meet two requirements:

• To have an Athenian father and mother.
• To be of legal age.

The Assembly (Ekklesia)

Participating in a democracy where the political body par excellence expressed popular sovereignty was the Assembly. Although all Athenian citizens could attend, in practice, sessions were followed by a much smaller number, around 5,000. Consequently, the weight of urban citizens in the government was superior. Throughout the year, a minimum of forty sessions were celebrated, of which only two had fixed dates. Issues regularly discussed in the Ekklesia included:

• The city's supply, particularly regarding cereals.
• Foreign policy and military matters.
• Control of State finances.

The usual place for meetings of the Ekklesia was first the Agora, then the Pnyx (situated opposite the Acropolis hill), and finally the Theater of Dionysus.

Alexander the Great

With a short life and only thirteen years of reign, Alexander the Great changed the ancient world. His conquests led to the destruction of the biggest empire of his time. He gathered under his power a great empire stretching from India to the western Libyan desert, changing the political configuration of the Greek world and marking the beginning of a new era.